Transitions
by Squooshytaje
Summary: The tales of two children growing up side by side, learning about new things, and about how they feel for others as well as each other. Even after they forget who one another is, they still feel empty, wanting something more. Someone more. KakaIru
1. Beginnings

_**Disclaimers: **I do NOT own Naruto, just the plot line of this story and any random side characters that do not exist in the real Naruto. _

_Yes, this is a romance story. ^ 'Kash is probably super OOC, and I apologize for that before hand. _

_So with nothing left to say; here we go!_

__*.*__

Chapter One

A small tanned boy, about the age of seven, walked out into the sunlight of Konahagakure. His chocolate eyes closed as they got used to the bright light, and a hand went back to tighten his ponytail.

Iruka Umino grinned childishly, and turned to look back at his home, his scarred nose scrunching a bit as he saw his mother standing there, hands on her hips.

"Be back before lunch! And don't bother anyone!"

"Okay!" Iruka called, and he bounded away happily, glad to be out of the house for once. He was even happier that he was allowed to leave alone.  
The young boy wanted to watch the genin train. He wouldn't fully be disobeying his mother's words on not to bother people, now would he?

As Iruka passed by the gates that lead into the outside world, he paused as he saw them open. Curious, he stopped to watch. A boy about the age of eleven walked into the gates, followed by two other nin, both who were grown. Iruka paused, watching them talk as they returned in from the outside.

Though the older nin were an interesting sight, the boy at the front kept the seven year old's interest the most. He had gravity defying silver hair that decided to stick up to the left, and a mysteriously masked face. He had his hitai-ate covering his left eye.

'Strange...' Iruka thought to himself, listening to the ninja talk as they walked past.

"That was an easy mission." The tallest of the three stated simply, putting his hands behind his head. He looked over at the other two nin, grinning. It seemed they all were relieved to be home, even though the silver haired boy didn't seem to show it.

"We got that brat from here to there in four days. I'm surprised I didn't kill her myself." The second adult mused, her eyes glancing to her companions.

"She didn't seem too bad." The boy said after a moment. It was the first words that Iruka had heard him say and he couldn't help but to smile softly to himself.

"That's only because she liked you. Like pretty much everyone else of the opposite gender around your age, Hatake-San." The woman snorted, and rolled her eyes.

Iruka stumbled a bit - having been following after them without noticing it himself - and fell to the ground with a small 'thud!'. The group of chūnin turned around, eyebrows shooting up.

"Who's the kid?" The man asked, an looked between the silver haired boy and Iruka. "Someone you know?"

The young nin rolled his half lidded eye a bit. "No." He responded, and walked over, crouching next to Iruka. "Are you alright?"

Iruka blinked his large chocolate eyes, and looked up at the pale boy. Now that he was up close, he could make out a bit more of his features. Though his face was still indecipherable, Iruka could make out a thin jawline, a slightly balled nose, and the outline of a lower lip. The lone, smoky gray eye scanned his face, as if making sure nothing was out of place.

He opened his mouth to say something, but the words didn't form. So he just nodded, and sat up, giving a light bow of his head, his face flushing in embarrassment at being caught following them.

"H-hai...Uhm...Sorry." He said, catching his voice once more and rubbed his scarred nose out of a bad habit to show he was flustered. "I didn't mean to follow you or listen to your conversation!" He said, glancing away from the boy who was only around four years older than he was. He was afraid of being yelled at.

Giving Iruka a stern look for only a moment, the gray eyed boy watching the brunette's face change from embarrassment to slight anger and hesitation. His visible eye curved up, and his whole demeanor changed. Iruka could tell that he was smiling, and he let out a soft sigh of relief.

"It's fine!" Came the cheery reply from the masked boy. He helped Iruka up to his feet, and watched as the smaller male patted the dust off. He couldn't help but to think that the other was rather adorable, and found him a bit on the feminine side. He smiled a bit wider under the black cloth as he studied the child before him. Iruka was shorter than him, with long, shoulder length brown hair that was pulled back, a rounded face with tanned skin, and a scar that stretched across his nose. His nose was a perfect little button, and his lips still had that natural pout to them that young children had. Guessing by judgement, he would have to say that the boy was a few years younger than himself.

"Your teammates left you-" Iruka pointed out, looking past the ninja to where the adults has scampered away, snickering and laughing to themselves at the children's studies of each other. The silver haired boy raised his thin brow, and turned to go look. His smile turned into a small frown, and he cursed under his breath.

"Ah, oh well." He shrugged, and turned to Iruka. "So, what's your name?" He asked, his smile returning back into his voice.

"Umino Iruka!" The brunette replied, and smiled. "I heard your last name, Hatake-san." He added after a moment, and smiled happily. The silver haired boy nodded, signaling that it was alright for Iruka to call him so if he pleased.

The two boys walked and talked around the village, stopping to sit down under the trees' shade. They were having a very heated discussion about different jutsus and other fighting methods. Iruka would have to admit that he had learned a lot. The boy currently beside him was a genius! He couldn't believe it, to be truthful. It had seemed to him that the elder was a lazy, just-enough-to-get-by kind of guy. How mistaken he was.

"I think my favorite type of jutsu would have to be substitution." Iruka said, and smiled a bit, twiddling a blade of grass between the pads of his thumb and forefinger. He was still in the academy, and still learning all he could. He wanted to know everything there was to become a good ninja. He studied hard, but sometimes he just didn't get it.

"It's probably one of the most important ones out there! I mean, it saves ninja from getting killed, and just is really cool!" He paused, hearing a soft noise coming from the other boy. "Are you laughing at me?!" He demanded, pouty lips turning into a scowl, his hands going onto his hips.

The laughing boy watched as the scar on Iruka's nose scrunched up in the other boy's slight anger. It was both hilarious and adorable at the same time.

"Maybe I am. Maybe this is all just an illusion." He teased, which made Iruka blink - obviously surprised - then he huffed, turning away from the other.

"Jerk." He grunted, folding his arms across his chest, pouting. He jumped a bit as he felt a hand on his shoulder, and slowly turned to see the chūnin. It seemed as if the silver haired male wanted to tell him something, but a loud call of the brunette's name silenced him.

"Iruka!? Iruka! There you are! I told you to be back before lunch! It's almost dinner!" His mother scolded him, and she walked over. Though, she looked mildly surprised at who her son was talking to. She smiled a bit, and gave a small bow of her head, greeting the chūnin before turning to Iruka.

"Let's go." She helped the scarred boy up, who looked disappointed. His brown eye met the lone gray one, and he saw a bit of disappointment there as well.

"Bye, Hatake-san." Iruka said, giving a small, sad little smile.

"It's Kakashi." The nin smiled beneath his mask, his eye curling up to prove that fact.

Iruka's face spread out into a wide grin. "Kakashi." He repeated. "I hope we can talk another time!" He waved, laughing softly, still grinning as his mom took him away.

Kakashi waved back slightly. "Yeah. Hopefully soon."


	2. Past and Present

"Kakashi!"

The silver haired boy turned, giving a questioning look. He was walking to the Hokage's tower to turn in the mission report from the day before. His teammates had filled it out, and they told him he had to be the errand boy. It aggravated him to say the least.

But now he let a small smile cross his face, and he gave a small wave. "Yo." He paused in his walking to allow the younger boy to catch up.

Iruka gave small pants as he finally caught up, and he grinned. "Hi!" He looked up at the taller boy. He fell into step with him as he started to walk once more.

"Did I get you into trouble?" Kakashi asked, mildly curious. He shuffled through his mission report silently, glancing at the child from the corner of his eye. Though, normally he wouldn't really care much if he had gotten someone into trouble, deeming it - oh so nonchalantly - that it wasn't really his problem. But, this was different for some reason.

Iruka shoot his head. "No. My dad said that it was good that I was talking to someone." He gave a small smile. Even if he didn't really seem like it, Iruka was timid, and preferred to play alone. Though he was really happy he met Kakashi, because now he had some to share things with.

"Good." Kakashi replied, and he gave a slight smile under his mask. He opened the door to the Hokage's tower, walking in. He listened as Iruka chattered away as they made their way to the mission room.

"Woah..." Iruka's small voice was a whisper, his chocolate eyes growing wide. The mission room was amazing! There seemed to be mountains of scrolls, and people busy doing lots of different things around the room, running between desks, and signing papers. He loved it!

He hadn't been paying much attention to what Kakashi was doing, and started to walk around the room, taking everything in. He'd really like to work here when he was a chūnin. Of course, he wanted to do missions too, but this would be interesting! He was so absorbed in the sight, that he didn't notice the other boy had finished what he was doing, and was now currently standing behind him, amusement dancing in his gray eye. As he turned, he smacked right into Kakashi's chest, rebounding two steps.

"Hey!" He yelped, rubbing his forehead, glaring half heartedly up at the other. He was laughing. LAUGHING. Iruka's lips formed a pout, and he scrambled to his feet.

"You jerk." He huffed, and stormed out of the mission room, hands balled into fists. That was not funny at all! Kakashi didn't have the right to laugh after he scared him like that!

"Iruka, wait-" Iruka didn't pause, though his pace slowed a bit, letting the chūnin catch up. He didn't know why he had, but he did.

"R...Ruru...Why'd you run away?" Kakashi asked, blinking a bit at the other, an ever so slight pant leaving his lips. Iruka was stunned at the pet name. No one had ever given him one before.

"What did you call me?" He asked, getting over his anger as curiosity crossed his features. Why did he suddenly get a nickname?

"'Ruru'." Kakashi repeated, and gave a slight smile that reached his eye. "It's fitting." He added, and rested a hand on the other's shoulder. Iruka gave a small giggle, and he hugged the ninja, nuzzling his face into the taller's chest.

"Thank you!" He chirped happily, and pulled back after a moment. "No one's ever given me a nickname before!" He clapped his hands together once, and grinned widely. That made Kakashi give a mental sigh of relief. He had though Iruka would get angry over such a dumb sounding name that decided to just pour from his lips.

"Hey, Kakashi?" Iruka asked as they walked towards the same area they'd been sitting in yesterday. It was still as shady and comforting as before.

"Yeah?" Kakashi asked, sitting down on the grass, and stretched. His gray eye flickered to the younger boy, wondering what he could want.

"Can I see your face?" Iruka asked, tilting his head a bit to one side. He wondered what Kakashi looked like. It seemed as if he never took that mask off. At first, Iruka thought that it was only for missions, but now that he saw him wearing it today, he wanted to know why, and if he could see what was under it.

"No." The reply was bristled, but soft at the same time. Kakashi didn't show anyone his face unless it was necessary. Which took a lot of convincing for it to meet that point. He watched as Iruka's scarred nose scrunched up a bit.

"Why do you wear it?"

Kakashi fell silent, and he glanced at the ground. Did he really want to answer that question? Did he want to bring up those painful memories? The look that the child was giving him made him feel like he had no choice. It seemed as if Iruka had some power over him already.

"If I tell you, will you tell me how you got that scar?" He retorted. It was an eye for an eye type of thing. He wanted something in return for his answers.

"Sure. Everyone asks about it at some point." Iruka replied, and settled down to listen to Kakashi's story. "But you go first!"

The silver haired boy took a moment to get his thoughts in order. "When I was little, my mother was very sick. She would seem paler than normal, with dark circles under her eyes and a very bad cough. At first, my father and I thought nothing of it besides stress, but the moment she fainted for no reason, we knew something was really wrong.

"No matter what we tried, she just kept getting worse and worse," Kakashi had to keep his voice even, and not lose his composure. He hated talking about this. Hated to even think about it. He let out a soft breath before continuing, trying to clear his thoughts of pain away. "…So all we could do was make sure she was comfortable. But every time I went to check on her, she told me to pull the neck of my shirt up to cover my face. She said that she didn't want me to get sick. So I did. And it became a habit even after she passed." He lightly brushed his fingers along his own jawline, frowning deeply. He kept his mother's dying wish to heart. Even if it was silly to do now.

Iruka listened, and he frowned softly. "I'm sorry..." He said gently, scooting closer to the other. He couldn't imagine what it would be like to lose a parent. His seven year old brain couldn't take it in.

There was a long silence between them, and neither could look at one another. It was as if Kakashi's stirred up bad water from the bottom of the lake. Though, when it was broken, it was broken by Kakashi himself.

"So, about that scar of yours?"

Iruka nodded, fingers brushing over it lightly. "Oh, right!" He smiled a little. "My mom told me this story when I was old enough to understand. But when I was able to walk around and think a bit wider, I found a stray kunai somewhere in the house. I had been playing Ninja with some other kids that day, and I wanted to play again. But I tripped, and the kunai cut me when I fell." He replied, and gave a sheepish smile at his own clumsiness.

Kakashi smiled a bit, and he watched Iruka. "I see." he said, lightly reaching out to touch the scarred tissue softly. He couldn't help but feel a bit smug as a red tint formed on the tanned cheeks of the child next to him.

Iruka lightly pushed Kakashi's finger away after it made contact for a few seconds, still blushing softly. He pulled his knees up to his chest, and his his face in them. He relaxed slowly as another silence fell over them. It wasn't awkward or overly emotional like the last, but a comfortable, cheery silence.

Iruka peaked out at the nin, and he gave a small smile. His eyes then flickered to the sky. It was starting to turn into hades of red, orange, pink and yellow as the sun whispered good bye and blew kisses out to it's subjects.

Iruka moved quickly, sitting on his knees, and he lightly leaned over, kissing Kakashi's cloth covered cheek softly. He was up on his feet in the next few seconds, and started to walk away briskly.

"I have to go!" He called, and broke out into a run, face flushing more. Why had he felt compelled to do that?

Kakashi was stunned for a moment at the feeling of the kiss, but he smiled a bit once Iruka had his back turned to him.

"Bye, Ruru." He called out. He'd see him later. No matter how embarrassing things got, he felt drawn to the boy, and he knew the feeling was mutual.


	3. Tragedies

**I am so sorry for the second chapter being total shiiiit and for this chapter being late. I had finals fretwork weeks ago, and have beso rather sick and busy these few weeks. ;-; Forgive me. **

. *^*

Chapter 3

Days rolled by into weeks, and those weeks rolled by into months as Kakashi and Iruka took time whenever they could to talk to one another. Though it made the brunette boy a bit sad that his friend was always called upon to go on missions, but he treasured the time that they could play together.

Iruka had asked Kakashi more than once for help with his work, and he even learned a few different things about Kakashi, like his passion for reading and learned his different mannerisms. It was hard to read Kakashi's emotions if you didn't pay attention carefully, and Iruka was getting a lot of practice. The time he spent with Kakashi made him really happy and warm on the inside.

Iruka, now of the age of ten years old, said goodbye to Kakashi - who was now an ANBU - and went into his house. It was so far a quiet night, and everything was peaceful in the village. He smiled contently, and walked into the main room of his home. It was nearing sunset, which meant dinner time. He wouldn't be lying if he said that he was starving. He hadn't eaten since dinner yesterday due to studying for a big test.

"Iruka! There you are." His mother came over and hugged him softly. "Is Kakashi not staying for dinner?" She asked, tilting her head.

Iruka shook his head. "He said he had something to do." He replied with a small pout. He had wished that the other boy could have stayed. His mother pat him on the head softly, saying something about maybe tomorrow and for Iruka to help her set the table. He heard the plates wobble a bit as he lost his footing momentarily, but then caught it again, setting the plates down on the table.

He slid the three plates into place, along with silverware and glasses. He grinned pridefully to himself, and he looked up to see his mother walking in with a plate of meat in her hands, and his father following behind with two bowls of other foods. They gathered together, and took out portions of food.

"...And today in class, some girl named Ruki was telling me about some jutsus that she learned from her parents!" Iruka said around a mouthful of food, waving his arms around excitedly. Though, before any of them could take another mouthful, a loud banging was sounded at the door along with a shout of "Umino!"

Iruka's parents shot up, and were at the door within moments. He followed behind, though he didn't hear much besides the words: "Attack!" "Hokage said...quickly!". He frowned, wondering what could be wrong. He tugged on his mother's skirt, looking up at her.

"What's wrong?" He asked as she pulled him away from where his father and some Shinobi were talking in hushed voices.

"Iruka, I want you to stay here. No matter what you hear. Okay?" She asked, crouching to his eye level. She didn't let go of his shoulders no matter what his questions were.

"Promise me." She demanded sternly, and Iruka nodded briskly, surprised. "I...I promise!"

And with that, they were gone, running away from their home, and their meal.

* * *

Iruka just sat there for a good ten minutes, staring down the hallway that lead to the door. He didn't know what to think. But he was worried. He could feel it creeping over his skeleton with icy claws. He had to do something! He needed to know...Needed to know if they were coming back.

Iruka grabbed his shoes and yanked them on, zipping them up as he half hopped, half ran from the house. He focused, eyebrows knitted together as he bolted from his house and into the darkness of the street. He ran about three blocks before he saw what was really happening.

Debris was flying everywhere, and flames lapped at the inky night sky, laughing and reaching for the moon. Buildings were crumbling and being smashed, glass sprinkling down on a few Shinobi trying to protect the heart of the village.

As Iruka continued to look, he saw the great beast that was creating this mess. It was huge with silky, flame red fur and black markings. It's fangs were bared, and they seemed as if they could rip through a human in only a few moments. But what took him off guard was the nine tails that sprouted from its raised hackles.

'Its a nine tailed fox!' He gasped in his brain, and his eyes searched frantically for his parents, hoping they were somewhere nearby. He begged and wished to the sky that they were, and he kept running down the streets as they became matted down with a mix of dirt and blood.

That's when he saw both his parents. His mother was trapped under a large piece of wood, and his father was prying her out of it. Blood was streaked over their skin and clothing.

"MOM! DAD!" The young boy shrieked, his brown eyes widening and filling up with tears. His parents turned their heads, shocked and mortified that Iruka had shown up.

"Iruka! GO HOME!" His mother screamed, though her attention was pulled away as an attack was thrown her way, bringing up clouds of dust and glass shards. Iruka meant to run after, but a strong arm grabbed him from around the waist.

"No!" He shrieked, struggling. "Mom! Dad! They're still in there!" He reached his arms out as he was drug away at a fast speed. He didn't know who was pulling him away, and he didn't care. All he cared about were his parents and the ever biting fear that they wouldn't be returning home.

Through tears, he noticed a flash of silver hair, and then saw Kakashi skid to a stop, his visible eye widening. He didn't hear his name on the ninja's lips due to all the noise around them, and he didn't care. Kakashi almost reached out towards his friend, but in a few moments, Iruka had been pulled away, and more attacks were coming. Kakashi got ready to fight once more, hoping that Iruka stayed at home and didn't leave.

Iruka screamed bloody murder when he was thrown into his bedroom. He jumped to his feet, and threw himself against the door, which had been firmly shut on his face. He could hear the items being pushed up against it to keep him in. Keep him safe.

He didn't care about being safe! He wanted to help! He needed to see them again! He shouted and sobbed as he banged his fists against the wood of his door, bruises forming on his small knuckles.

"Noooo! L-let me ouuuut!" He sobbed, and slid onto the floor, curling in on himself. That was the night that he knew he was truly alone. He would never see them again. He could just feel it. And on that feeling, he cried himself into the first of many restless sleeps.


	4. Ties and bonds are meaningless, right?

The sound of shifting furniture roused the young boy from his sleep. His face hurt, and his eyes were large and puffy. The dried tear streaks had gathered a bit of dirt, which rubbed away as Iruka wiped his face off.

He slowly sat up, and yawned, looking around. For a few moments, he didn't realize that he was in his bedroom, and panic bloomed in this chest. What was happening?! He frantically stood up, blood draining from his head due to the quick movements, and he tottered a bit; gasping loudly.

"Iruka?" Kakashi's voice came as the door creaked open a bit. "Are you in here?" Iruka looked at the door, and he dragged his feet - which now felt as heavy as led - over to the now cracked entry way. One of his eyes peaked out to meet a stone gray one.

"Go away." His voice was choked and crackly from the crying he had been doing and the lack of use. He didn't want to see anyone. He couldn't stand to see anyone. His parents were gone. He hated the world and everything in it.

"Iruka..."

"I said go away!"

Kakashi pushed open the door wider, and looked down at the brunette. He lightly reached out, and rested his hands on Iruka's shoulders. "Listen to me. You can't shut yourself away like this."

"I'll do what I damn well please!" Iruka shoved the silver haired boy away from him. He glared up at him, his scar bunching a bit as his face contorted with anguish and rage. "Go away! I don't want to see you anymore!" He yelled out, hands balling into fists. His body quaked, but he didn't care. He hated everything and everyone now. He didn't want to see anyone give him pity for losing his parents!

"Iruka you can't just-"

"I can, and I will! Leave!" Iruka grabbed onto the door, and shoved it shut. He didn't care if Kakashi got hurt by it. It was the other's fault for standing there. His fingers quickly turned the lock, and he glared down at the floor, eyes filling with tears.

He was pushing away his best friend, and he couldn't care more in the world. But he had to do it. He couldn't stand seeing him anymore. He needed to change himself; and to do that, he had to cut all ties to his past.

* * *

Six years later, Iruka pulled his new Chūnin jacket over his shoulders, and he grinned. It looked good in his opinion. He'd worked hard for it, too! He turned around in a circle in front of his bedroom mirror.

"I bet you're proud of me..." He looked over to a picture frame sitting beside his bed. He sat down, and brushed his fingers over the faces of his parents. "It's been so long...But I know everything is better for you." He smiled softly.

Iruka had come so far to get here. he had made a fool of himself once he went back to school, and had disappointed many people with his lazy test scores. He had talked himself into not caring about anything other than trying to rebuild himself. But after watching his friends graduate before him made him realize that he had to get his act together. He was a ninja, and ninja aren't failures!

He brushed his fingers over his new jacket, and he sighed softly. "I'm going to do the best I can as a chunin..." He gave a determined look, and clenched his fingers into a fist. "I may not be the best at fighting, but I'm going to gladly give my life for this village. There isn't a thing that can stop me."

A tap that came from his window caught his attention, and he turned, giving a surprised look. It was one of his teammates. He grinned, and opened the window.

"Iruka! The rest of us are going to get lunch to celebrate being made chunin! Come with us."

The tanned male chuckled and he nodded. "Sure thing! I'll meet you guys there. I just gotta finish up something here real quick!" He replied, and gave a thumbs up. The other nodded, and waved goodbye, telling him that he better not be late before running off.

The brunette let out a deep breath, and sat back down on his bed. He was still trying to wrap his mind around being made Chūnin. It was a giddy feeling and he was so excited. But it still felt like something was missing. Sure, he would be celebrating with his friends...But he really wished that he could have seen the look on his parents' faces when they found out.

"Chūnin, eh?" The voice caused Iruka to jump, and he grabbed a kunai from his pouch out of a nervous reaction. His gaze turned to the window. A noise of surprise left his lips along with a name.

"Kakashi-"

The Jōnin let his only visible eye curve up into a hint that he was smiling. "Sorry to scare you. I thought I'd just stop by and congratulate you. It's not every day you get made a Chūnin, you know." Kakashi stated, looking at the awestruck Iruka.

Confusion and joy crossed over Iruka's brain. He hadn't spoken to Kakashi in a long time. He had ignored the other ever since that night the Kyuubi attacked. He felt rather guilty because of it. He had always known that Kakashi was there. He had gotten quite famous because of that left eye of his. He also knew that Kakashi had always watched out for him even if Iruka hadn't noticed fully. And all he had done for the other was ignore him.

"T-thank you." The teenager stuttered, rubbing his scar embarrassedly, a small flush rising on his cheeks. He glanced off towards the side, hearing the other male chuckle.

"No problem. But, don't you have somewhere to be?" That statement caused Iruka to snap out of his thoughts. Had the other been listening in?!

"Right!" He turned towards his bedroom door, getting ready to leave. Though he paused with his hand on the doorway, and he glanced over his shoulder.

"Kakashi?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm sorry." And with that, he shut his bedroom door, leaving Kakashi leaning against the window frame, smiling to himself.


	5. Will of Fire

**Author's note: **_Personally, I thought that this chapter was a bit lacking in the descriptions, but I was told by my 'editor' that it was fine. I may go back and change it if I am still in satisfied with it though. Enjoy it for yourselfs! Dont let my nitpicky-ness get in the way!_

Crimson droplets hit against the rounded cheeks of the young Umino. His pupils dilated as his eyes widened, the corners filling up with tears. He yanked his fading comrade off the battle ground and to the side, where he hid behind a rock. He cradled the woman in his arms, looking down at her as the tears poured from his cheeks.

Today had started out just fine. He had been sent out with two others from the village on a mission to collect information on an enemy, and Iruka had been so excited. It was going to be his first mission that involved protecting the village against a possible threat. He had run it out over and over in his head, only able to come to positive outcomes.

But this was beyond what he could have even dreamed. He gripped the fellow ninja closer, and brushed her now blood matted hair from her face. "H-hey, Shiio, It'll be okay, don't worry!" He whispered out in a cracked voice, trying to sound positive. The girl gave a cough, blood dripping out with it. She smiled up at Iruka though. "No...They hit a vital...I'm not going to make it, 'Ruka..." She let out heavy breaths, trying to make what was best of the last ones she had.

"No, no no!" His grip tightened on Shiio as the light from her eyes faded away. Iruka couldn't stop the tears that ran down his dirt ridden face as they fell harder. "Shiio!" He placed his hand over her eyes, closing them. He wiped his eyes, and set her down, grabbing a kunai with his right hand, and stood up. He narrowed his still crying eyes, and jumped up over the rock.

The enemy was still busy fighting against the other member of his team, and he rushed at them, intent to kill. Determination flooded through his whole body as he pulled back his arm, throwing the kunai as hard as he could. It felt like time had stopped as he watched the metal fly through the air towards its victim. But it missed and stuck into a tree instead.

"Ack!"

Iruka's eyes widened as he was kicked in the stomach and sent flying a few feet away. He pulled himself up a little weakly, and vomited onto the ground. The acid burnt his throat, and he coughed, snot dripping from his nose and tears from his eyes. He glared up at the approaching ninja who had a sword out at the ready to kill him. He closed his eyes tightly as he waited for the blow, knowing that he was too weak to stop it.

But it never came.

Peaking one chocolate brown orb open, Iruka saw a flash of blue light and the piercing sound of a Chidori. Both his eyes snapped open, and he gave a hoarse shout of "Kakashi!"

The silver haired male turned his head to look at Iruka, and the younger could tell that he was smiling. A cough left his lips as he staggered up to his feet, wobbling a bit before falling back down on his knees with a curse. He had sprained his ankle.

"Don't over do it!" Another voice came as Gai bounced over to the injured Chūnin. Iruka looked up at him, and he gave a grateful smile. He stood up with Gai's help, holding his injured foot on the toes. He grit his teeth together, trying to get used to the feeling of walking on it.

"How did you guys get here?" He asked, looking up at Gai. He never would have thought that it would be these two to save him! But, they were high ranking ninja from his village. He wondered why the Third sent them out, though.

"Ahah! Don't worry about how or why! All that matters is that we're here my young friend!" Gai replied, and hoisted Iruka up onto his back, making him wince in pain from his wounds. "I'm going to take you back home while Kakashi cleans up here!" Gai started to run back the way he had originally come.

The next thing Iruka could remember was waking up in a hospital bed, cleaned up and bandaged. His ankle had been wrapped up tightly to keep from more damage, and a large slash on his thigh had been stitched up. He heaved a sigh, and rested his head back against the pillow, looking up at the ceiling.

"You know, you don't quite have to go out on missions like that anymore." The voice of the Third Hokage startled the young boy. Iruka looked over to the old man so fast that he hurt his neck. As he rubbed the pained spot, he raised a brow.

"What do you mean?" Worry shot through him as he wondered what the Hokage meant. Did he want Iruka to stop being a ninja?!

"Wipe your worries away, boy. I'm not here to relieve you of your Chūnin status!" The old man laughed, and clasped his hands behind his back as he approached the boy. "I was coming here to offer you something that might be tough to pass up." Iruka sat up a little straighter, looking at the Hokage seriously and listened.

"I want you to pass on the will of fire to the new generations of Ninja. I want you to teach them what it means to be a part of the Hidden Leaf."

That shocked the brunette. "You want me to become a school teacher?" He asked, pressing his index finger to his chest. Why him? What did he have that would make a good teacher?

"Exactly. What do you think, Iruka?"

Iruka gazed down at his lap for a moment, staying silent as he thought hard. Slowly, a determined smile found its way across his lips, and he looked up at the Hokage. Something in his eyes made the man grin in return.

"Once you get out of the hospital, I want you to officially start." The Third chuckled out, and he turned to leave.

"I believe in you, Iruka. You'll be a fine teacher."


	6. Like Brothers

**Squooshy's note:** _I was actually thinking of posting this sooner, buuuut I got caught up reading SinGrin's fanfictions. You guys should really go check them out. They're absolutely wonderful and full of amazing writing talent! ( So much better than you'll find from me! :3 ) P.s.! What would you guys think about a one shot of Darui and Omoi? They've become a recent ship of mine and there's like, NOTHING of them out there yet..._

* * *

Iruka took his first normal steps out of the hospital for the first time in about four days. It was a crisp and beautiful Saturday afternoon, and he couldn't help but to smile to himself. He felt excited to be both out of the hospital, and to have a new job as a teacher.

"Hey, Iruka!" A small voice came from his right as a small round faced, mesh blonde haired boy (who couldn't be more than six or seven) came racing towards him. "You're out!"

Iruka reached out, pressing a hand against the boy's forehead so he didn't run straight into him. The blonde locks felt soft and damp under his fingers, and a bit of worry fell over him. Naruto either had been showering earlier, or he had been thrown into the river...again. Sometimes he couldn't help but to be furious at everyone's treatment of the poor boy. He saw how it affected Naruto. The hate, the taunts, the way no one would even look at him with a caring gaze...

Iruka himself had once done that due to the secret Naruto didn't know. The monster that had been the cause of his parents' death was sealed up into this bubbly little troublemaker. But he had seen himself in Naruto; causing his views on the boy to change. He offered his friendship towards the young Kyuubi boy while others didn't. And it pained him to see how hard the child tried to make friends with the other kids; like that annoying Inuzuka boy. There were two boys that seemed to not care about what other people thought of Naruto though, because he did see them together a bit when he was out doing errands. That lazy Shikamaru boy and his friend Chōji...Though it was sad that Naruto couldn't see that he did have some friends when he thought that there was no one.

"Hey, Naruto! Are you staying out of trouble?" He asked, wiping the moisture on his hand off a bit.

"O-of course I am! Who do you think I am?"

"A bad liar. Why are you all wet?"

"I was just...uh...playing by the river!"

"Naruto..."

"It's the truth!"

"No it's not."

"Yes it is!"

"No. It's. Not."

"Iruka, really I'm not lyi-"

"IF YOU LIE ONE MORE TIME I SWEAR TO KAMI THAT I'LL GIVE YOU SOMETHING TO LIE ABOUT!"

Naruto flinched away from the tempered brunette, and he stared up at him with wide blue eyes. "I'm sorry Iruka! I didn't mean to!"

The tanned Chūnin gave a soft sigh, his temper cooling. He reached out, resting a hand on the boy's shoulder, pulling him against his leg. "...Why don't we go out for some ramen? It's been a while."

Naruto perked up, and started to bounce around the teenager in a circle chanting: "Ramen! Ramen! Ramen!" The energy that Naruto possessed made Iruka want to sit down and rest by just watching. How could so much hyperactivity be pumped into one boy? 'It's probably the Kyuubi...' He had thought at first, but as he started to get to know the child, he realized that it was just plain old Naruto being Naruto. With a bit of quick healing power from the Fox sealed away in him, the blonde was like a little unstoppable golden flash around the village.

* * *

As they walked together, Naruto chattered away a mile a minute about nothing and everything all at the same time. Iruka tuned out some of it, though he did talk about about subjects that either needed correction or just were interesting.

"How did your mission go? I never got to ask you that." Naruto looked up at the Chūnin with wondering blue eyes that hinted with jealousy. Iruka's expression softened, and he rubbed the side of his scar out of a nervous habit.

"Well, I ended up in the hospital. So it didn't go too well. It was completed." He said, not wanting to get into depth about it. The death of a friend was still etched in his mind. There would be many more deaths, and he knew it. But this one was worse because she had died right in his ar-

"So, who was that weird guy that kept pacing around by the hospital room you were in from the outside?"

Naruto's voice pulled him from his quickly down falling thoughts. "Huh? What weird guy? And why were you watching people? That's creepy, Naruto!"

"I didn't do it on purpose! He was just there every time I passed by to do something!" Naruto replied, and pushed aside the curtains of the Ramen shop. He plopped down on the bench, his hands balling into fists against the counter. He shot off an order for pork ramen the moment the man behind the counter turned to him.

"Naruto say please!" Iruka scowled as he sat down next to the blonde, giving a sigh. He ordered his own normal bowl of spicy shrimp ramen, and turned back to the boy. "What did this man look like seeming how you're so interested in him."

"He was kinda tall and covered his face with a mask and his headband..." Naruto continued to rattle off a description, but Iruka already knew who it was, and he could feel his face turning a soft pink color.

"Iruka, your face is getting all funny. Are you sick?"

'What would he be doing there? He should have been on a mission or something...' Iruka was lost in his head. 'If he had so much time to just stand under my window he could have at least come up to say hello or something! No, no, he probably wasn't even there for you, Iruka. It was probably a coincidence that he was near my window when Naruto say him...' His brows furrowed as he continued to have an internal conversation with himself. Surprise crossed his face as a wet noodle struck his cheek, tearing him from his little self battle.

"You're acting weird and making weird faces! Who is that guy?!" Naruto demanded in a huff, his stubby little kid arms folding angrily across his chest as Iruka peeled the ramen noodle from his face.

"Let's not throw noodles at me anymore, okay?" He sighed, and rubbed his temples in frustration a bit. "But that guy is an old friend of mine." He waved his hand a little before he picked up his chopsticks to start eating.

"Old friend huh? Then why didn't he ever go in?" Naruto grumbled and started to gulp down his own ramen. "Would you chew for once?!" Iruka demanded, afraid Naruto would choke.

* * *

It was late when Iruka finally started on his way home. Naruto had fallen into a small food coma after eating at least six bowls. The Chūnin was carting the snoring little blonde on his back so he could head home. He was tired and needed to prepare to set his classroom up tomorrow.

He smiled as Naruto mumbled under his breath about candy, and he shifted the boy on his back a little. Sometimes the child was too adorable for his own good. He felt like it was his duty now to help his grow up as best he could.

"I see you're walking just fine." Kakashi's voice made the brunette jump in surprise.

"You really have to stop that!" Iruka turned, and threw a half hearted glare at the silver haired man. Kakashi just chuckled, and he fell into step with the other male.

"Sorry. Didn't mean to scare you. Though you are really jumpy, Iruka-sensei."

"Ah, so you know about that?"

"I was the one who suggested you to the Third."

"Really...?"

There was a long paused, the only sounds were their feet on the ground and Naruto's light snoring. Iruka was surprised that Kakashi would have even considered him the teacher type. Though it was a pleasing thought. They climbed the stairs to Naruto's home as they came to it, still having not said anything.

Iruka opened the door, and walked in, carrying Naruto his his room and tucked him into bed, pulling off the shoes on his feet and setting them neatly beside the bed. He pulled the blankets over him, though he knew they would end up on the floor in the morning. He had Naruto stay with him a few time before so he could get a good view of how the blonde would act in a facility with another person.

"Hey, Iruka?"

At hearing his name, he turned to look at Kakashi leaning in the doorway, arms folded over his chest, looking drowsy. Iruka knew better than to trust that lazy look in Kakashi's eye. He could never read what the Jōnin was thinking...

"Yes, Kakashi?"

"I've been thinking of a way you can repay me for saving your life."

Iruka almost choked on air. "W-what?!" That caught him off guard. He coughed into his elbow, trying to get over the shock of that statement. He could hear Kakashi chuckling softly, and he glared at the ground.

"How about you go out to dinner with me tomorrow at about seven?"

The brunette felt his face flare up with heat, and he stared at Kakashi with wide eyes. "I...Uh...S-sure!" He stuttered out, and smiled, a finger rubbing embarrassedly at his scarred nose bridge.

He had absolutely no idea what he was getting himself into with accepting this little date with Kakashi, but he had a feeling that he was going to have a break from his stress as of late. So he accepted it wholeheartedly.


	7. Warm Feelings

The clanks of objects bumping into one another as a large foot-and-a-half tall box was set down in front of a wooden sliding door. There was a note taped to the front, saying 'Iruka' in small neat letters. The brunette plucked it neatly off the door and opened it up.

_Iruka, _  
_Good luck with setting up the classroom today. I'll meet you at seven outside your place. _  
_-Kakashi_

Iruka gave a small smile, and he slid open the door, grabbing his box once more, and made his way into the room. It was a large room with wooden floors and rows of platforms with long desks setting atop them in the back of the class. Towards the middle, there was a long strip of just the floor. It was about five feet wide and reached from the door all the way to the opposite wall. There was a slight rise in the floor where his own personal area started. There was a desk - although empty for now-, and a clean forest green chalk board that stretched over half the wall that stood behind his desk. There was two new boxes of chalk on the metal rim, just waiting to be opened.

Iruka set the box down on the desk, and he leaned against the corner. He rubbed his chin, looking at the chalk board. He started his work tomorrow, so he would have to quickly set things up and read some plans to sort everything out. It would be a hard time, but maybe once he got back from unpacking, he could take a bath and work on the planning before getting ready to go out to dinner with Kakashi.

As his mind crossed to that topic, he suddenly felt very flustered and nervous about it. He'd never gone on an official date before. Wait, this wasn't a date! He was sure of it! Kakashi just wanted to make him feel a little better about almost dying, right? Right?!

Iruka smacked himself on the face, groaning. "Get ahold of yourself Iruka!" He glared at the wall. He walked over, grabbing a box of chalk, and popped it open. He pulled a fresh piece out just like a hard core smoker would a cigarette from its pack. He pressed the white stick against the dead center of the board, and in large, spirally letters, he wrote 'IRUKA-SENSEI'.

"Ah! You must be Yaminiko-sensei's replacement! It's nice to meet you! I'm Riku Shizu. I teach the younger students."

The woman's voice caused Iruka to jump, and he turned around, surprise on his face, lips parted as if to say something. Though as he saw the petite looking woman with pinned back dark - yet slightly graying - black hair. She had slight crows feet by the corner of her hazel eyes, and laugh lines by her cherry red lips. Iruka approached her, offering out his hand.

"Umino Iruka. And yes, I am here to replace Yaminiko. It's sad to hear about what happened to him." He replied, and shook her hand tightly. He released the smaller hand, letting his fall back to his side. "I bet he was a good man."

"Oh he was. He was one of the best teachers we've had around here so far. Almost all of the children loved him." Shizu replied, and gave a sigh. She folded her hands in front of her. "Yaminiko-Sensei was a dear friend of mine, and it's still hard to get over the fact that he has passed so soon. Sicknesses these days really take their toll. You keep yourself healthy, Iruka-Sensei! I would hate to have to attend another funeral!" She said in a stern, motherly way.

Iruka gave a small chuckle, and bowed his head. "Of course, Shizu-Sensei. I wouldn't dream of catching fatally at my age!" He replied, and rubbed the scar across his nose embarrassedly.

"Ah, it's so nice to see such a young boy here to teach. I wish you the best of luck. If you need anything, don't hesitate to visit my room. It's only two doors away."

"Thank you."

"Goodbye, Iruka-Sensei. I shall see you at a later time and date."

"Goodbye!"

Iruka held his breath until the woman left the room before he gave a disoriented look. 'She's defiantly an odd one...' He thought, and sighed heavily, turning to face his desk area, and decided it was time to get to work.

* * *

The sound of a pencil against paper sounded in the quiet bathroom along with the soft 'slooosh-slosh' of the bathtub's water. Iruka was laying on his stomach in the warmth filled tub, a washcloth resting on his head. His now undone hair swirled down to his shoulders, the tips soaking to the color of a raven's feather as they brushed against the water's top.

The newly named teacher was holding a planner in his left hand, his right holding the pencil that was furiously erasing marks now. "No...I can't do that just yet. I wanna start off slow on that topic...They couldn't be able to turn out to be logical ninja if we proceed too fast...But..." Iruka frowned deeply, chewing on his lower lip. Something throbbed behind his left eye, signaling the birth of a migraine.

'Ugh. Great. Just what I needed...' He thought, setting the planner and pencil on the tub side. His index and middle finger massaged the throbbing skin, trying to keep the growing pain at bay. 'What time even is it?' The brunette glanced with his good eye over to the clock, and panic flooded over him. It was already six thirty!

He scrambled to quickly drain the bath water, and hop out. Though in his hurry, he slipped on the tile floor, skidding a few inches before catching himself against the counter. "Shit, shit, shit!" He chanted as he grabbed a towel, furiously drying himself off. Loosely wrapping the cloth around his bare lower half, he left the bathroom, and ran down the hall to his bedroom, throwing the door open.

"Oh why didn't I plan ahead and already have clothes set out?!" The male groaned, scolding himself as he pulled on the handles to his dresser, sliding the drawer open. He pulled out a pair of briefs, tossing the towel to the bedroom floor. Sliding his feet into the holes, Iruka pulled the underwear up to snugly hug his lower body before pushing that drawer closed and opening the one that housed his pants.

Tanned hands shifted through pairs of pants until they graced upon a nice, slightly formal, pair of dark colored jean like material. The brunette grabbed them and slid them on, fingers - which were still wet - fumbling with the button for a moment.

"Hnn! Come on!" Iruka growled out in frustration, biting his tongue softly. "Ah-ha!" He gave a small cheer as the small round bit of metal slipped successfully through its indicated hole. Suddenly feeling very conscious about himself and that silly act, the young Umino glanced around to make sure no one was watching, a splash of pink tinting his face.

'Oh pull yourself together, Iruka! You're acting like those little girls do when they think that Sasuke boy is going to talk to them!' He shook his head in exasperation, and went to his closet to retrieve a shirt. He gave a risk to look at the clock, letting out a sigh of relief. Six thirty-five. He still had enough time to calm and really pick something out to wear with the twenty five or so minutes that were left.

His fingers brushed against the fabric of his shinobi under shirts, tees, and a few button ups. He looked everything over, then down to his jeans. 'Maybe not a button up...' He thought, and pushed aside some of the shirts hanging in front of him to get at what was further in the darkness of the closet. That's when he saw the checkered gray and black long sleeved shirt. It didn't look like it was made of heavy material, and a little on the casual side.

Iruka grinned and pulled it off the hook, sliding it up and over his head. He walked back to the bathroom, and looked at himself in the mirror. Not too fancy, but not too casual to the point where he would look like he just rolled out of bed. He adjusted the collar of the shirt, and reached for his hair brush.

The brush was sent through the soft locks of dark chocolate colored hair, pulling it back into a tight ponytail. It was one of the only styles that Iruka had decided looked good on him, and he's always had it; well, except for when he was asleep that is.

After a little bit more of adjusting his clothes, Iruka decided he was presentable enough, and left the bathroom in search of his shoes. He found them neatly set by the front door, and he grabbed them, bringing them over to the couch. He sat down, hiking his right leg up over his left's knee, and got to work sliding the shoes on over his foot, and zipped the back. He repeated the process with his left foot before looking back at the clock.

Six fifty-seven.

Well, it seemed like the best time to leave was now. A sigh left his lips as he stood, and made his way towards the door, flicking the lights off as he opened it to step out. To his surprise, Kakashi was already standing there waiting for him.

"Yo."

The silver haired Jōnin was dressed in casual wear - deep blue pants with a black button up - as well. Iruka had to admit that it looked really...well, good on him. Now embarrassed with his own thoughts, he rubbed his scar, and gave a shy greeting of: "Hey."

"Ready to go?" Kakashi asked, his hands in his own back pockets lazily as he discretely checked the younger out with his visible gray eye. The gaze made Iruka feel suddenly self conscious and a little uncomfortable, his fingers fumbling slightly with the hem of his shirt.

"Yeah." He responded, closing the door behind him, stepping down off the door step. He stood next to Kakashi, and gave a quirk of the head. "Where are we going?"

"You'll see when we get there." Kakashi replied, and motioned for Iruka to follow him as he started to walk. The brunette raised a brow, but followed the other male. He couldn't help but noticed how even though Kakashi's shirt was a bit looser than their ninja gear, he could still see the muscle under rippling with his movement. He almost reached a had out to lightly touch the other's back, but gripped his wrist to keep it from moving as he walked quickly to catch up.

"How'd the set up go?" Kakashi asked after a few moments of silence, his eye flicking over to Iruka, who was watching the ground as they walked, hands limply at his sides.

"It went pretty good, I guess. I met one of the other teachers. She was...interesting to say the least." The Chūnin said, a slight shudder creeping along his spine at the thought of the bold little woman.

Kakashi chuckled at that, and raked his mind for the names of the teachers who worked there. Though he really hadn't had much interest in the school since now. "Hm, I'm sure she's nice." He replied, his smile evident in his voice.

"If not a bit overbearing." Iruka chuckled, and rubbed the back of his own neck.

"I'm sure things'll go just fine. Besides, I've seen how you've acted around Naruto. You're a natural teacher."

Iruka blushed a bright pink, and he glanced off to the side. "You really t-think so?" He asked, his words stumbling a bit as he became flustered, and he smiled shyly.

"Yeah." Kakashi replied, and gave Iruka's shoulder a small pat. Though his hand lingered ever so slightly longer than it should have. An odd feeling swelled inside of Iruka as the Jōnin's hand touched him. It was almost like a spark had shot through the both of them, and he was sure that Kakashi had felt it too by the way he glanced at his hand momentarily.

Iruka had been too distracted before to realize where they were headed, but as he glanced around, he noticed that they were in the woods. 'Where is he taking me...?' He furrowed his brow, turning to look at Kakashi.

"Where are we going?"

Kakashi pointed to about a few yard ahead where a lantern had been placed on the middle of a blanket with basket of food was placed next to it. "There."

"A picnic?" He asked, and had to suppress a giggle that threatened to leave his lips. Well, this was quite the surprise! A pleasant one at that, too. He grinned as he walked towards the set up, taking a seat down across from Kakashi.

"So, what do we have on the menu for tonight?" The brunette asked, resting his chin on the palm of his hand -which was propped up by his elbow on his knee- and looked at the older male.

"Well, take a look." The silver haired man replied, and opened up the basket to reveal what was inside. There were bowls for rice and a main dish, two clay cups for drinking, and chopsticks. Under those, there were two plastic containers of rice and a main course that from the point he was at, Iruka could tell consisted of chicken and dumpling soup.

"That looks really good, Kakashi." The brunette grinned, and he helped take out the utensils that they would need to eat, setting them down in their proper positions.

* * *

The air was filled with their laughter and chattering as their little lamp light dinner trekked into the late hours of the night. They had finished off the actual eating portions, and now were laying on their backs, looking up towards the star prickled blackness above them. Two small cups of sake were resting besides them on the grass as they chatted about people they knew, things they've seen, and the biggest change so far; Iruka's new placement in the village.

In his slightly tipsy state, Iruka admitted to his fears of not being taken seriously by the children, or just not liked by them in total. He was younger than most of the other teachers, and he was pretty sure they thought he was there just to get out of dangerous situations. It was true, Iruka didn't like fighting for the reason of he wasn't too good at it, but he was quick with his mind. If he could just pass on his knowledge of the shinobi world to the oncoming generations, he would feel useful even though he may feel weak.

Kakashi shifted to lay on his side, propping his head up on his palm so he could get a better look at Iruka. "You'll be a great teacher. Not every kid is going to like you, but they're kids. They'll be grateful for the things you're going to show them how to do."

Iruka gave a twitch of a smile at that, and he gave a heavy sigh; as if something big had been portioned and the smaller chunks had been stripped away. Kakashi's words had made him feel a little better about starting his job.

"What time is it?" It had been a long silence before either of them had spoken. But Iruka needed to know because he had to get up early for work.

"About eleven twenty." Kakashi replied after a moment of shuffling to check the watch that had been hidden under his sleeve. "Do you want to head back?"

Iruka was already sitting up, and stretching for a moment. "Please?" He responded, and started to adjust his now slightly rumpled shirt. They already had cleaned up their settings so they could lay down, so that wouldn't be a problem. All that was left to do was fold the blanket up, which Kakashi did once they were both up on their feet.

Kakashi held the basket with its blanket balanced on top in his right hand, and pressed his left against the square of Iruka's back to nudge him in the right direction. The tipsy Chūnin gave a slight blush, chuckling out a "Sorry~"

'No grown man should be this adorable when drunk.' Kakashi mused to himself, and he walked alongside the other back the way they had come. It was a warm night, and not much was said on the way to the small childhood home of the war orphan - who had grown so far into a strong individual -.

Iruka stopped in front of his front door, and turned to look at Kakashi, as he smiled. "Thanks, 'Kashi." The other's name was a little slurred, but the Jōnin really didn't mind. "I had a lot of fun!"

Kakashi rubbed the back of his neck a bit, and smiled from under his mask. "I did too. Thanks for coming along!" Though he was caught off guard as Iruka gave him a hug, letting out a sleepy sigh. The silver haired male patted his back a bit, and closed his eye until it was broken.

"I'll see you sometime later?" The words came out as a question as Iruka opened the front door, ready to step inside.

"Of course. See ya, Iruka. Sleep well." Kakashi replied, holding up a hand in a farewell, watching as the tanned male grinned and slipped inside the house with a farewell in return.

Iruka sighed as he slumped against the wall, his grin still on his lips. He felt all warm and fuzzy on the inside, and he almost gave a squeal like a small child who had just been given their favorite toy. In his intoxicated state, he considered what had occurred to have been kind of like a date. His first date. Though, if sober Iruka heard this, he would be firing off excuses in a flustered way and storming around in rejection for any feelings of the romantic sort towards Kakashi what so ever.

So for now, he was glad sober Iruka wasn't around so tipsy Iruka could enjoy the memories of tonight before he went to sleep.

* * *

**Squooshy's note: I decided to leave my own comments down here at the bottom instead at the top now. ouo But I've actually had some bad writer's bloc lately, but a certain song broke me out of it for some reason. If you guys haven't heard or seen the music video ( I suggest greatly that you do) for Same Love by Macklemore, you really need to. That song is just like...wow. It makes me so happy just because its there. This chapter took about four days for me to write because of the lack of inspiration, but since I hooked up some pandora stations, I've been getting some good inspirations going!**

**But, on the 17th through the 20th, I'm not going to be able to update (not much of a shocker haha) due to a mini family vacation. Just thought I'd let you guys know. vuv**


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